Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Heart's overflow

Twenty two verses. Twenty two verses with heart and mouth in them. God knows our hearts and mouths are closely tied to each other. He also knows which drives which. Heart filled with love overflows to a mouth expressing love.

Blackie is a cow who is governed by her mouth, she loves to eat!

Deuteronomy 30:14No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

God also knows our mouths can say what is not in our hearts, but that it is not truth. God also knows that more often than not when we speak from the heart it is truth. For good or ill, our hearts really do overflow into our words.

You know that person, perhaps you shared the mirror this morning, whose mouth twists and even when loving words are said they are covered in venom. We all have those days where the love just doesn't seem to reach our words, our actions. We repent, we move back into the heart of God and are renewed.

Psalm 49:3My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.

We must spend time in God's word. Meditating with our hearts so that His love can wash us again. And again. There are days when I think my heart is covered in a hard covering of stress, pain, anger, frustration and hurt. It takes all I have to sit back and ask God to wash it in His love. To melt it all away. From heart to mouth.

Mouths can only say what our hearts feel, what our minds know. If our hearts are soaked and washed in love then our words will be those of love. If our hearts are bitter and angry, no matter how we sugar coat them our words are going to be bitter and angry too.

It is much better to admit you are feeling less than loving than to cover loving words with the acid of hate. It poisons the intent, the words and the relationships. When our mouths can only speak of hurt, gossip, anger or judgement the hearts that feed them are filled with that as well. If we take loving words, and cover them in our bitterness, we lose the love.

Think of how much worse this is if we are sharing God's love with that in our hearts! Our words, no matter how professionally crafted or polished are poisoned still! A preacher, teacher, parent or friend cannot share God's love when their own hearts are filled with such an overflow of hurt, hate and pain. We are better to remain silent than to push someone away in our pain.

Psalm 17:10They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.

Callous hearts. How sad are they! Not accepting healing, or love, beating smaller and smaller until they are hardened and feeling they are so right in their feelings. Arrogant mouths. Ones that say loving words, elicit confidences and use them to hurt because of their own hurting heart. There are no words you can say or wounds you can bear that cannot be overcome by God. But brothers and sisters, we are accountable for our words. Those that hurt and those that heal.

I used to have a nick name that explained my bitter heart - acid tongue. I was not a nice person when I spoke. I could reduce someone to tears easily. If I chose, and sadly back then I chose often. I was proud too because I didn't gossip. I cut. I demeaned. I drew in and then pushed people away. My heart was hurting so badly all I could think of was to hurt others as much as they hurt me.

God gave me a gift of words. I misused it. Instead of taking it away, He changed my heart instead. I got a new heart for God. I repented, was redeemed and when I have a day, a minute or an hour of wanting to hurt back I remember I can choose not to. Just because I'm feeling that way doesn't mean I have the right to bring hurt to others. God wants us to be genuine, to live from the heart and share from the mouth, to govern our minds and above all love. Love. Grace is the ultimate expression of love. Ours back is faith. Faith.

What does your heart overflow with? Where is your overflow leading your mouth? If we know what our treasure is by where our hearts are, what is filling your heart today? Is it love? A desire open the gates of grace? Are you hurting and angry? Do you feel no one understands and that lashing out, even with 'truth' is your only option?

Do you think you are alone? You are not. Do you think no one understands? There are those who do. Do you think you are right and justified? Let's pray on that, together, and see what God's answer is. Do you want to overflow love instead of tired, frustrated, angry and confused? Brothers and sisters, I do too! Let's pray together!

4 comments:

Have you read "Silver Boxes" by Florence Littauer. I read it years ago and it changed my life. It's all about encouragement. So easy to read. She uses Ephesians 4:29. Everything that comes out of our mouths is to be to the benefit and to build up others.

However - in order for the good and uplifting to come out of our mouths. Our hearts & attitudes must be right.

Janet - thanks for coming by. I'll have to look for that book. We need to have our hearts right so our words are right too...not just the 'correct' words but the right spirit of love and grace. Bright blessings!